Workforce

 

Industry Goal:  A healthy, skilled and engaged workforce, available to meet the needs of the industry

The capability of people and the quality of their skills are critical factors in business success. It is vital for the long-term competitiveness of the industries to attract the best and brightest, and achieving sustainability will require a variety of skills and a multi-disciplinary approach. Investing in people and in particular investing in new skills to equip business with the necessary skills set for a business to be sustainable will be critical.

However, Australia is currently experiencing a shortage of skills in many sectors, including plastics and chemicals. This combined with an ageing population in Australia, has potential to place major constraints on the growth of the plastics and chemicals industries, and leading companies are responding to this in their hiring practices, work arrangements and training programs to creatively overcome these constraints.

A company that considers the wellbeing of its staff in its practices and policies will also be well positioned to integrate sustainability given skills and people shortages. Providing a healthy workplace for employees can deliver a range of benefits to the company, including improved productivity, motivation, team building, heath and safety, moral and reputation.

Engaging with people and teams right across the business will be essential to successfully integrate sustainability, and in turn, creating processes that encourage people to engage and participate in these processes is critical. Companies already use a range of internal consultative processes, such as health and safety committees, which can be leveraged to build sustainability coalitions. Leadership and demonstrating progress is also essential to creating an engaged, sustainability focussed culture.

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